


Desperate Prayers

by Aria_Lerendeair



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Bonding, Fix-It, Grace-Sex, M/M, Mating, Sam needs Closure, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-09
Updated: 2014-02-11
Packaged: 2018-01-11 19:00:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1176714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria_Lerendeair/pseuds/Aria_Lerendeair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As he is dying, Gabriel does something he hasn't done in thousands of years.  He prays to his Dad.  Prays that Sam Winchester will be all right.  And years later, when Sam Winchester makes a similar prayer to God, he gets a gift, in the form of one archangel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Gabriel's Prayers](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/35647) by AndLatitude. 



> This fic was inspired in full by the list of tags found here (my Tumblr post of this original chapter)
> 
> http://aria-lerendeair.tumblr.com/post/75126054277/highlyfunctioning-fangirl
> 
> Those tags just killed me and I had to write something. And then I had to make it better and do a fix-it, because I was told I cannot leave it like that.

  
  
  
  


Gabriel has moments before he will be gone forever.  The sword is buried deep in his chest, and it reached the center of his Grace.  

 

Even now, he can feel all of him, Grace, wings, all of it condensing to where the sword is.  Lucifer, Lucifer is staring at him, even as his eyes close, the sword stays pressed firmly into his chest.  

 

His Grace was swirling tighter and tighter.  It hurt.  It hurt so bad.  Only a moment more.  More than enough to do what he should have done a long time ago.  

 

 _'Dad?'_  His True Voice was barely a whisper, unbefitting the herald of the host.   _'I tried.  I tried my best.  I really did this time.  I even managed to save those idiot Winchesters you love.'_

 

Pain.  So much pain.  His Grace would finish condensing then explode.   _'Even stood up to Lucifer.  I’m not asking for favors Dad, but maybe, maybe you could come back?  Maybe bring me back?’_

 

His wings shattered and his True Voice was a scream that pierced through the heavens.  Time.  No time.   _'If not, I understand.  I know I failed Dad.  I failed everyone.’_

 

The explosion started at the tip of the Archangel blade.  

 

_'Maybe just tell Sammy Winchester…I'll miss him?  Tell him to keep fighting…'_

 

Almost…they weren’t far enough away.  Had to protect them.  Protect Sam.  A true explosion might level the state.  Implosion.  Keep it in.  Keep them safe.  Keep him safe.  

 

_'I love him Dad.  Please keep him safe.'_

 

Light, so bright that it boiled the skin of his vessel imploded within.  Grace, pure Grace, scattered to the universe.  

 

_'Sam…'_

 

Wings, a fraction of their true scale were burnt into the ground.  Tainted  forever by the death of an Archangel.  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Sam sat bolt upright in bed, his chest heaving.  He wiped at his face frantically, brushing the tears off.  What, what had THAT been?  

 

"Sammy?"  

 

Sam shook his head.  ”M’fine Dean.”  He watched Dean grunt and roll back over in the other bed.  The weight on his chest stayed there.  He pushed a hand through his hair and fell back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.  

  
Why had he dreamed about Gabriel?  The Archangel/Trickster was dead.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look, a resolution that is a BAJILLION times longer than the first chapter! Woo!

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sam parked the car and stared at the decrepit hotel in front of him.  He didn’t know what had driven him to come here anymore than he knew why he had made the trip to Lawrence, and to Stanford again.  He had to do something while Dean got his shit together and it felt good to just...drive for a little while.  Say goodbye.  He climbed out of the car and walked into the hotel.  It had clearly been abandoned after that night.  It’d been years since they had been in the Elysian Fields motel, so while the dark shadows of bloodstains remained, the scent was gone.    
  
  
He walked further in, a shiver crawling up his spine.  But he had something he had to do.  He needed to say thank you.  And goodbye.    
  
  
The door was still open to the conference room.  It was almost as though he were walking into a memory.  Lucifer’s voice echoed in the back of his mind, taunting him, reminding him that an archangel had died for him.    
  
  
That was when he saw it.  The shadow of wings burned into the floor.  No body, no vessel, but the wings.  They were there.  Just like they’d been in that dream.  If he’d ever needed proof that Gabriel was dead, here it was.  Sam knelt down next to the ash and sighed.  What was he doing here?    
  
  
Sam sat down on the ground beside the wings and stared at them for an even longer moment.  He spared a second to think about the DVD Gabriel had left them and felt a laugh break through.  His head fell back to rest against a table.    
  
  
“Hey God?  I just want you to know that you suck.”  Sam closed his eyes.  “You leave them, let the angels mess up everything, almost let them destroy us, and they’re all messed up.  Cas and Gabriel were the best ones and you KNOW it.  Cas, Cas gets it now, I think.  Humanity.  Sorta.  Gabriel…”  He sighed.  “Why did Gabriel have to die?  Did you create him knowing that he would die like this?”    
  
  
Sam cursed himself for leaving the bottle of Jim Bean in the car.  Damnit.  “We couldn’t, Dean and I.  You know, kill each other.  That’s why your plan didn’t work.  But Gabriel, Gabriel wasn’t supposed to die in your plan.”  He opened his eyes and let his eyes trail over the wings again.  “He was supposed to live happily in paradise.  But he messed up too, didn’t he?”    
  
  
He fumbled the lighter out of his pocket and stared at it.  He’d planned on burning the place down after he was done.  That certainly would be for the best.  But now, looking at the wings on the floor, he wasn’t sure he could.  His heart hurt.  A creature of pure love and power had died for them, for HIM.  “You know, you brought Cas back.  More than once.  Why didn’t you bring Gabriel back?  It’s not really fair you know.”    
  
  
Sam lumbered to his feet and flicked the lighter, watching the flame burn.  “Hey Gabriel?”  He looked up to the ceiling of the motel.  “If you’re out there, and you can hear this?  Thank you.  It’s an impossible thing to stand up to your family sometimes, believe me I fucking know, and you did, and I just…”    
  
Sam swallowed and continued.  “You’ll never get a thank you out of Dean.  But I wanted to say thank you.  For that.  For saving us.  From both the Pagans and Lucifer.”  Sam took a deep breath.  He could almost see those eyes, laughing and mocking him.  But even then, they shifted, to something else, to molten gold that burned with understanding.  
  
  
“Goodbye Gabriel.”  Sam said, turning away from the wings.  He dragged the lighter along the dingy tablecloth and watched as it slowly caught fire.  It spread quickly, it’d been far too long since it had rained last.    
  
  
“Fuck, Sammy, could you be any more cliche?”  A hoarse voice gasped out.    
  
  
Sam dropped the lighter and spun around.  “What the fuck?!”  He stared at Gabriel, watched as the angel rolled over onto his side and grunted in pain.  “What the fuck is going on?!”    
  
  
Gabriel glared up at Sam.  “May I remind you that you just set the place on fire and we should probably play twenty questions about what the fuck happened while -not- in a burning building?”    
  
  
Sam strode over to Gabriel and picked him up, Gabriel’s weight surprising him for a moment.  Like Cas.  He felt too solid to be human.  “Let’s get out of here.”  He hurried towards the exit, not bothering to hide his grin when Gabriel grumbled something about not being a damsel in distress.    
  
  
Reaching his car, Sam dropped Gabriel’s legs and let his feet touch the ground before letting go.  “Shit!”  He caught Gabriel just as he started to crumple.  “Can’t you stand?”    
  
  
“Not at the moment, it seems.”  Gabriel grumbled, glaring down at his legs.  “I’m about as powerful as a fledgling and everything fucking HURTS right now.”    
  
  
“What are you doing here?  How are you back?”  Sam asked, realizing belatedly that most of the heat was gone from his questions and he was cradling Gabriel against his chest.   
  
  
Gabriel yawned and pressed his face to Sam’s chest.  Warm. So warm.  Best thing in the world right now.  “You asked.”    
  
  
Sam blinked and digested that.  “I asked.  I asked what?”    
  
  
Gabriel whined.  He wanted to be pressed closer to Sam, against those miles of glorious skin and warmth and he wanted it now.  He tugged at Sam’s shirt and pushed his hands up and under the shirt Sam was wearing, pressing his hands against gloriously warm skin.  “Dad thought you made a valid point about Cas.  ‘Bout me.  Never would have thought you’d care.”    
  
  
“I do-”  Sam cut himself off.  If he took his words back, would God take Gabriel away again?  The idea made him shudder in revulsion.  “What do you need right now?”    
  
  
“Warmth.  So fucking cold.”  Gabriel mumbled, pushing more of his arms under Sam’s shirt.  “You’re warm.  Need it.”    
  
  
Sam shivered and swallowed hard, staring down at the archangel clinging to him.  “Your Grace?”    
  
  
“It’s comin’ back.  Slowly.  Need rest.”  Gabriel slurred, his eyes drifting shut.    
  
  
“Angel’s don’t sleep.”  Sam whispered.    
  
  
Gabriel growled and headbutted Sam’s chest gently.  “This angel does.  Shush.  Sleep.”  He ordered.    
  
  
Sam looked around and considered his options.  Gabriel was already half-asleep.  “Gabriel, you can’t fall asleep here.  Do you have enough Grace to take us somewhere?”    
  
  
Gabriel made a distinctly unhappy sound.  “Fine.”  He huffed and raised a hand to snap.    
  
  
Sam was certain that he imagined the sound of wings that echoed around him.  They fell onto a soft bed and Gabriel groaned immediately.  “Gabriel?  Are you all right?”    
  
  
“Tired.”  Gabriel said, curling up tight.  He missed Sam’s warmth already.  He shivered.  He should get under the blankets.  Even if it wouldn’t help.    
  
  
It took him a split second to make the decision.  Sam kicked off his socks and shoes, peeling his shirt up and off, following it quickly with his jeans.  In a matter of minutes, he’d stripped off both of Gabriel’s shirts and his pants, leaving him in gold boxer briefs.  “Gold?  Really?”    
  
  
Gabriel gave Sam the finger and shivered harder.  “Shuddap.  Why’d I get a show?”    
  
  
Sam pulled the covers on the giant bed back and crawled under them.  “Because if you want to be warm, you’re going to get over here before I think too hard about this.”  Sam ordered.  He smiled when, a moment later, he had an archangel clinging to him.    
  
  
Oh -Father-.  The kid was heaven.  Gabriel pressed as close as he could and sank against Sam, smiling when an arm came around to keep him close.  “Mmmm.”    
  
  
“Rest.”  Sam said, combing his fingers through Gabriel’s hair.  He wasn’t expecting the whimper that escaped Gabriel and looked down at him in concern.  “Gabriel?”    
  
  
Gabriel pushed his head against Sam’s hand, trying to silently communicate that he wanted more of that petting.    
  
  
Ah.  Sam smiled and repeated the gentle touch.  Gabriel melted against him, his entire body relaxing again.  Something heavy settled across his waist and he glanced down, frowning when he didn’t see anything.  The sound of feathers ruffling as Gabriel shifted had realization shooting through him.  Wings.  Gabriel’s wings.  Draped over him.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Gabriel didn’t know how long he slept for, but when he woke up, with was with a very large Sasquatch for a pillow.  And then were not in the previous position as last night.  In fact, was Sam…?  Gabriel tilted his head up and blinked at the sight of Sam reading.  Oh.  He’d brought them to that safe house.  Huh.    
  
  
“You awake?”  Sam asked, moving the book to the side.  “Wanna let me up now?”    
  
  
He tightened his arms around Sam and sighed before letting him go and rolling into the middle of the bed, starfishing as Sam walked into the bathroom.  It’d been good while it had lasted.  He’d even managed to get Sam mostly naked.  Gabriel sighed again and flopped over to bury his face in a pillow.  He wanted his Sam pillow back.  He was much more charged up than he had been when Dad had dropped him into Sam’s lap, but he was a long way from full power.  He stretched his wings, pleasure rippling up his spine.  He remembered them being shredded into millions of pieces as he’d died, the agony that had encompassed every inch of him.    
  
  
“So, where are we?”  Sam walked back over to the bed and sat down on the edge.  The windows showed nothing but blackness and his cell phone had no signal.  Gabriel had one hell of a library here though.  Rivaled the one back at the Men of Letters bunker.    
  
  
Gabriel turned his head and looked at Sam.  “Pocket dimension.  Kinda like a time loop, but not really.  It’s contained in itself.  I built it ages ago.  Surprised I got us here.”  He yawned and curled up again.  “I could murder some chocolate chip pancakes right now.  You?”    
  
  
Sam chuckled.  “Food would be great.  Can I get a couple more questions in first?”    
  
  
“If you must.”  Gabriel said, waving a hand at Sam.    
  
  
“Did you know we stopped the Apocalypse?”    
  
  
Gabriel blinked and sat up, no matter how much his vessel and wings protested the movement.  “You what!?!?”    
  
  
Sam blinked at the reaction and burst out laughing.  The shock on Gabriel’s face had been perfect.  Damnit he should have taken a picture.  “Yup.  Michael and Lucifer are in the cage.  I said yes-”  
  
  
“You did what?!”  Gabriel’s wings shimmered behind him, his Grace, weak though it was, pulsing angrily at the idea that Lucifer had managed to convince Sam, after everything, to say yes.    
  
  
“Let me finish!”  Sam said, a smile still on his lips.  “We planned it out.  Opened the cage like you said.  I said yes, managed to throw Lucifer off of me long enough to grab Michael and drag him into the cage.”    
  
  
Gabriel stared at Sam, and this time, really looked.  The kid’s soul was darkened.  Not black, it never would be that, but there were cracks that went down almost to the very center of his soul.  He’d gone in with them.  “You went with them, didn’t you?”    
  
  
Sam swallowed and looked away from Gabriel.  “Yeah.  We pulled some...unrecommended shit to get me out, and I was soulless for a while, then-”  
  
  
“You’ve had the memories suppressed.  I can see it.”  Gabriel sat up in the bed and shifted closer to Sam.  Precarious, but the wall was there.    
  
  
“Yeah, no one really wants the memories of a hundred years worth of torturing.”  Sam pushed his fingers through his hair and sighed.  “Gives me some hellish nightmares, but, for the most part it’s all right.”    
  
  
Gabriel shook his head and huffed out a laugh.  “Unbelievable.  Death probably just gave you his ring, didn’t he?  Hell, Dean probably gave him a burger and he handed the ring over.  What else have I missed.”    
  
  
Sam blew out a breath.  “Lots.  But I wanted to know.  You sticking around now that you’re back, or are you going to go off and play the Trickster?”    
  
  
“Sticking around where?”  His eyes narrowed at the flash of hurt on Sam’s face before he was covered with a smile.  “With you?”    
  
  
“You don’t have to sound so stunned Gabriel.  Just send me back to the hotel and-”    
  
  
“Woah, woah, woah.”  Gabriel held up a held.  “You are misunderstanding my question there Sammich.  That was not a I-don’t-want-to-stick-around question.  That was a why-the-fuck-do-you-want-me-around-after-what-I-did question.”  Almost immediately, the tension started to ease out of Sam.    
  
“Cas’d be happy to see you.”  Sam offered up.  He was avoiding the real question he’d asked.  If Gabriel would stay, with him.    
  
  
“Little bro can wait for a bit.”  Gabriel said, sinking back into the bed.  He felt like he still needed to sleep for a few decades.    
  
  
Well.  Fine.  Sam had no pride.  “So, yes.  Will you be sticking around here?  With me?”    
  
  
Gabriel raised an eyebrow.  “Gonna make it worth my while?”    
  
  
Sam snorted.  “Not planning to do anything.  Just wanted to ask, seeing as you’re back.”  He watched as Gabriel flexed again and heard the fluttering sound, his eyes snapping up.  There was a shimmer in the air before it stilled.    
  
  
“What?”  Gabriel looked over his shoulder.    
  
  
“Your wings.  I keep hearing them.  Thought I saw…”    
  
  
“Yeah, they’re trying to peek through into this dimension.  Bad plan, since I’m pretty sure you want to keep your eyesight.”  Gabriel said, closing his eyes again.  He needed to snap up pancakes.  But he really didn’t want to move either.    
  
  
Sam looked at the spot where the air had shimmered before looking back down at Gabriel.  “Was, did you have it, er, them?  Laying on me last night?”    
  
  
Gabriel thought about it before shrugging.  “Likely.  I wasn’t able to hide them like I usually do.”  He rolled over and blinked slowly, staring at Sam.  “Food.  Gotta get you food.”  He snapped, a plate of pancakes falling into Sam’s lap, a fruit cup on the bed beside him.  He closed his eyes.  Another nap was in order.    
  
  
Sam watched Gabriel settle in and put the plate on the side table.  Tugging the archangel forward, he positioned Gabriel against his chest again, smiling at the pleased noise that got him.  “You can ask, you know.”    
  
  
“Warm.”  Gabriel responded, sinking into Sam’s embrace.  Both long arms were wrapped securely around him.  His eyes fluttered shut.  “Night Sammy.”  He drifted and dreamed of Sam’s soul, wrapped around his Grace, protecting him from harm and keeping him safe.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The next time Gabriel woke up, well.  It was damn near perfect except for the potential panic he could tell they would be dealing with shortly.  Sam had shifted again, and while they were still pressed together, one of Sam’s legs had pressed between his, getting an obvious reaction, even if he was in a vessel.  What was surprising was the answering erection from Sam pressed into his belly.  Gabriel resisted the urge (only just!) to shift, slowly, and let this take them somewhere interesting.  “Sam.”    
  
  
He bit his lip to keep in the groan when Sam gave a slow roll of his hips.  His breath caught in his throat and his dick gave a slow pulse.  “Sam.  You gotta wake up.”  Gabriel said, managing to hold himself still as Sam continued to move, the burn of friction making him shudder.  “Sam, please.”    
  
  
“-riel…?”  Sam mumbled, opening his eyes.  He blinked a couple of times and looked down at the angel in his arms.  “‘s wrong?”    
  
  
Gabriel took a slow, deep breath as Sam’s sleep-rough voice washed over him.  Fuck.  He could feel every inhale and exhale the kid was taking.  “You might, uh...want to…”  
  
  
Sam blinked again and pressed a kiss to the top of Gabriel’s head.  “It bother you?”  He tightened his arms around Gabriel and spread one hand out over the small of his back.    
  
  
The kiss alone shouldn’t have made him shiver.  “No, course not.”  Gabriel mumbled, pressing his face against Sam’s chest.  “Rather obviously, I think.”    
  
  
“Good.”  Sam said, rocking his hips forward in a slow rhythm.  He gave a happy hum when Gabriel dropped his hands to his ass and squeezed.  “Mmm.  Gabriel.”    
  
  
Gabriel huffed and squeezed Sam’s ass again, coaxing him into a rhythm.  “You’re going to regret this in the morning.”    
  
  
“Only if you leave.”  Sam mumbled.  He let out a low groan and rolled them over until Gabriel was beneath him. He pinned Gabriel to the bed and stared down at him, licking his lips.  “Gotta...mmm...need you.”  He rocked his hips again, slowly, staring as Gabriel arched underneath him, their dicks lining up perfectly for all of that hot, wonderful friction.    
  
  
He was nothing if not shameless.  Gabriel snapped his fingers and moaned as the remaining clothing between them disappeared.  Everything was skin on skin and it was glorious.  His Grace pulsed slowly between the two of them, healing the cracks in Sam’s soul as they moved together.  “Fuck, kid.”  Like this, it was impossible not to feel and hear every thought the kid had as it went flying through his head.  A mantra of ‘More, Gabriel, please, so good, don’t go, please don’t go’ skittered across his mind and he squeezed Sam’s ass harder.    
  
  
“Gabriel…”  Sam pressed his face to Gabriel’s throat and sucked at the chilled skin there.  Gabriel still felt cold and he had the completely irrational urge to want to warm him up any way he could.  He kissed his way up to Gabriel’s ear.  “Wanna kiss you.  Can I?”    
  
  
Gabriel jerked under Sam and groaned.  He buried one of his hands and tugged on Sam’s hair until their lips were only millimeters apart.  He looked Sam in the eye, catching the strain of desperation there and tugged him down for a kiss.  He made it everything he could, hot and dirty, their tongues sliding against each other as they rocked together.  Fuck finesse.  He wanted.    
  
  
Sam struggled for breath as he broke free from the kiss for a moment, pulling back just enough to allow him to slip a hand between them and wrap it around their cocks.  Gabriel bucked hard under him again and Sam leaned down to steal another kiss.  It wasn’t going to take him long and whatever Gabriel was doing, that he could feel down to his very bones, he wanted more of it.  It felt like Gabriel was sinking into him, body and soul.  “Gabriel, fuck!”    
  
  
He tightened his fingers in Sam’s hair, tugging hard to bare Sam’s neck to him before he leaned in and sucked hard at the base of his throat.  Gabriel added a bite and savored the shudder that got him. Sam’s rhythm faltered for a moment and he smirked, knowing it wouldn’t take long for Sam to lose it, even like this.  “Come on kid.”  Gabriel taunted, feeling the growl when it started deep in Sam’s chest.    
  
  
“Not a fucking kid.”  Sam snarled, leaning down to return the bite, right at the base of Gabriel’s throat.  He slid his thumb over the head of Gabriel’s cock and smirked when the archangel shuddered.    
  
  
In the back of his mind, warning bells went off.  Mutual markings.  Claims.  Mates.  Gabriel shoved the thought to the side.  He could think about it later.  “Prove it.”  He panted, whining loudly when Sam stroked them faster.  Without his Grace fully recharged, he could feel every nerve ending in his vessel without trying to allow it and fuck!  The miles of golden skin, the cock hard and heavy against his own, and that hand, wrapped around both of them, determined to bring them off.  “Come on Sam.”  Gabriel whispered, watching Sam jerk and shudder again.    
  
  
Sam groaned and kissed Gabriel again, hard and desperate.  He wanted, wanted so bad.  Gabriel would leave, so he would have to take whatever he could.  He wasn’t going to last longer and Gabriel was getting warmer by the moment, his skin starting to retain heat.  “Gabriel, please.  Please.”  Sam didn’t know what he was begging for any longer, but Gabriel bucked once then went tense under him, bright light gathering behind him.    
  
  
Sam slammed his eyes shut just as the wave of heat (maybe Grace?) hit him, triggering his orgasm and making his whole body hot to the point of overheating.  Could he even feel Gabriel beneath him anymore?  Lethargy started to take him over, even as he felt hotter and hotter.  He almost, it almost was like someone was cradling him close.  Like he was precious and cared for.  
  
  
Thankfully Sam had had enough self-preservation to close his eyes before he had angel-ed out.  He’d also managed to pass out, which meant that he didn’t have to return to his vessel right away.  Good.  Gabriel cradled the small soul in his hands and stared down at it.  So strong and bright, so hurt and damaged.  How could such a tiny thing bear so much?  He cradled it at the very center of his Grace, determined that Sam would know, even if only soul-deep that he was loved and cared for by someone other than his family.    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sam steeled himself to wake up alone.  To feel cold.  And alone.  He had to face facts.  And this fact was very simple.  Gabriel would have left by now.  What Sam didn’t expect to feel was better than he had in months, every ache and pain gone, feathers pressed against his skin, and a possessive hand on his hip.  A soft snore came from beside him and he fought the urge to grin and failed.  Gabriel was still here.  He opened his eyes and stretched under the feeling of warm feathers.    
  
  
Sam froze and stared.  Then stared some more.  Hope rose in his chest and he shoved it away, not wanting to assume anything, but…  “Gabriel.”  No movement from his side.  “Gabriel!”    
  
  
In an instant, Gabriel was awake, looking around for whatever threat had made Sam shout his name like that.  The kid had sounded terrified.  “Sam, what?  What’s wrong?”  He looked around and reached out with his Grace, feeling nothing but the two of them here.    
  
  
Gabriel’s wing had moved from being draped over him to hanging protectively in front of him.  Sam wanted to laugh at how ridiculous it was.  “I’m kinda curious as to why I haven’t gone blind…since I’m seeing your wings.”    
  
  
Gabriel blinked and looked over his shoulder at Sam.  “You’re what?!”    
  
  
Sam gestured to the wing that was only a foot in front of him on the bed.  “Yeah.  Right there.  You’re holding it in front of me to...protect me?  Maybe?”    
  
Gabriel froze.  What, what was going on?  “Sam.  Tell me what you’re looking at.  Your brain can’t comprehend ME, let alone my wings.  What do you see?”    
  
  
He swallowed and reached out, his fingertips only an inch from the wings now.  “Gold.”  Sam whispered.    
  
  
“Gold?  What does that mean?”  Gabriel turned and knelt in front of Sam on the bed.  “Clarify, I need details here Sasquatch.  You shouldn’t be able to see ANYTHING.”    
  
  
“There’s six.”  The wings were out of his reach now, but Sam sat up and stared at them.  “They look like eagle wings.  They’re amazing.”  He whispered.  “Every shade of gold you can imagine.  The primaries are white-gold.  They get darker closer to the base.”    
  
  
Gabriel stared at Sam, wide-eyed.  That was how Sam’s brain was interpreting his wings?  “How big is the wingspan?”  He whispered.    
  
  
“Thirty feet.  Maybe more.”  Sam shuffled closer, still staring over Gabriel’s shoulder at the shades of darkening gold that led to his back.  “They’re so beautiful Gabriel.  How can I see them?”    
  
  
“I don’t know.”  Gabriel said.  “Can you touch them?”  His very Grace quivered at the idea.  Sam’s brain had clearly taken the pure Grace he should have seen and translated it to an image that he could understand.  But would he be able to touch?    
  
  
Sam knelt in front of Gabriel and reached out to comb his fingers along the primary feathers.  Steel and softness all at once.  He heard the loud groan from Gabriel, but he kept touching, afraid that he would never get the chance again.  “They soft...and strong.  Steel.  They’re weapons for you, aren’t they?”    
  
  
“They can be.”  Gabriel said, his breath coming in slow gasps.  His Grace pulsed with every touch of Sam’s fingers, pressing closer to him, to his mate.  He stared at Sam.  “Sam.”  He whispered, reaching out and tugging Sam into his arms properly, falling back on the bed with Sam over him, his wings spread out on the bed.    
  
  
He wanted to sink into Gabriel’s arms and never leave.  Sam stared down at him, his heart pounding.  “Yeah?”    
  
  
“Want me to stay?”  Gabriel asked, tugging Sam down until all of that glorious skin was pressed against him once again and closed his eyes.    
  
  
Sam swallowed hard.  He nosed along Gabriel’s cheek and smiled.  “Will you if I say yes?”  The idea that Gabriel would leave was enough to have his heart pounding desperately.  He couldn’t, not again.  Wanted Gabriel to stay forever, right here.    
  
  
Gabriel smiled.  “I’m supposed to be the one asking a question with a question.”  He kissed Sam, a slow, deep slide of their lips and tongues together.  He combed his fingers through Sam’s hair and held him close.  If Sam wanted him to stay, he would.  They were mates.  He would always be with Sam.    
  
  
“Yes.  Want you to stay.”  Especially since he and Dean weren’t travelling together.  He’d have company.  Maybe more than that.  “Please.”  Sam added, his voice barely above a whisper.    
  
  
“Yes.”  Gabriel said, pulling Sam down for another kiss.  His Grace pulsed happily, surging around Sam.  “Yes.”  Mine.  My mate.  Love and protect you.  Mine now.  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Hate it? Love it? Did I have someone remove their shirt twice? Let me know!
> 
> Comments and Criticisms welcome!
> 
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> 
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